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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. charge — electricity
  11. race — humankind
  12. fine — high quality
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lie — to recline
  17. race — a contest
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stand — to bear
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wake — a trail
  24. vault — in gymnastics

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com